Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Today’s news on National Public Radio tells how President Obama’s words expressing his goal to freeze settlement building in the West Bank are influencing the prices of real estate in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing to allow for “natural growth” of the settlements – continued expansion so that family members can stay together. However, today’s story points out that 40% of the people moving into the settlement are not doing so for family reasons, but because real estate is more affordable in the subsidized construction in the settlements.

The story continues tomorrow with coverage of how the Bedouin and Palestinians are being affected by the possibility of a settlement freeze.

For those of you in the Denver area, Christ Lutheran in Highlands Ranch is hosting a three-part series on peacemaking in the Holy Land – this coming Sunday, July 26, Hasan Ayoub, a Palestinian from the West Bank and a graduate student at DU’s Korbel School for International Studies, will speak about the Palestinian history and possibilities for peace, 9:30 am, 8997 S Broadway St, Highlands Ranch.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Some of you may have heard this story on the BBC today. It is encouraging that more Israelis, especially the military, are speaking out about the Israeli army’s treatment of Palestinians and that this is being covered in mainstream media. On their trip in May, the Colorado Sabeel delegation met with representatives of Breaking the Silence, the organization of Israeli soldiers that gathered this testimony. Read the BBC story and below you will find a link to some of the solders’ testimony.Israel soldiers speak out on GazaSoldier testimonies appear to contradict official Israeli statements

A group of soldiers who took part in Israel's assault in Gaza say widespread abuses were committed against civilians under "permissive" rules of engagement.

The troops said they had been urged to fire on any building or person that seemed suspicious and said Palestinians were sometimes used as human shields.

Breaking the Silence, a campaign group made up of Israeli soldiers, gathered anonymous accounts from 26 soldiers.

Israel denies breaking the laws of war and dismissed the report as hearsay.

The report says testimonies show "the massive and unprecedented blow to the infrastructure and civilians" was a result of Israeli military policy, articulated by the rules of engagement, and encouraged by a belief "the reality of war requires them to shoot and not to ask questions".

One soldier is quoted saying: "The soldiers were made to understand that their lives were the most important, and that there was no way our soldiers would get killed for the sake of leaving civilians the benefit of the doubt."

From Paul Wood, BBC Middle East correspondent:Until now, Israel always had a ready answer to allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Claims were, they said, Palestinian propaganda. Now the accusations of abuse are being made by Israeli soldiers.The common thread in the testimonies is that orders were given to prevent Israeli casualties whatever the cost in Palestinian lives.The Israeli military says past allegations of wrong-doing in Gaza were the result of soldiers recycling rumours.But Breaking the Silence has a long - and to many, credible - record in getting soldiers to talk about experiences which might not reflect well on the army.Breaking silence on abuses

Another says: "People were not instructed to shoot at everyone they see, but they were told that from a certain distance when they approach a house, no matter who it is - even an old woman - take them down."

Many of the testimonies are in line with claims made by human rights organisations that Israeli military action in Gaza was indiscriminate and disproportionate.Amnesty International has accused both Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in charge in Gaza, of committing war crimes during the 22-day conflict which ended on 18 January.

Israeli officials insist troops went to great lengths to protect civilians, that Hamas endangered non-combatants by firing from civilian areas and that homes and buildings were destroyed only when there was a specific military need to do so.

Friday, July 10, 2009

The American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights announces today a new monthly news source. For those of you who attend St., Paul Lutheran in Denver, this is the organization that Heidi Schramm works for in Washington. They have put together an excellent newsletter. I encourage you to subscribe and to take a look at their web site: http://www.aaper.org/ Click on “Latest News” for some good stories about what it happening on the ground in Palestine.

I also encourage you to support Ezra Nawi (see story below), an Israeli plumber and openly gay man who frequents the South Hebron Hills, where Israeli settlers continually harass and injure Palestinian sheep herders. Ezra was arrested in 2007 for trying to prevent the bulldozing of a Palestinian home. Read his story below and write or donate to help prevent his imprisonment. Read more about him and see video footage of his arrest: http://www.supportezra.net/AAPER Introduces the America-Palestine Report

Today, AAPER announces the launch of the America-Palestine Report (APR), a monthly newsletter that will inform American elected officials and policymakers in Washington, DC about the situation in Palestine, and inform supporters of an equitable U.S. policy toward Palestine about developments in U.S. policy in Washington, DC. More...

Israeli Settlements: Actions Vs. WordsFreezing Israeli settlements has taken paramount importance in U.S./Palestinian/Israeli negotiations over the past several months. According to former Israeli cabinet advisor Daniel Levy, “the administration's public position is that settlements undermine confidence in the two-state solution. [Obama's Middle East envoy George] Mitchell was clear about this in his report eight years ago, that there has to be a settlement freeze.” More...

Israeli Activist Jailed For Peaceful ProtestOn July 22, 2007, Ezra Nawi stood with a Palestinian family inside of their home in the small village of Um al Kher. Ezra, an Israeli Jewish man, watched from the doorway as the bulldozer approached, ignoring the shouts of the Israeli soldiers to get out of its way. Even though the bulldozer showed no sign of stopping, it was not until the family was forced to abandon their home that Ezra moved to safety. For this act of nonviolent resistance, Ezra now faces up to eighteen months in an Israeli prison. More...

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The peace activists traveling with the Free Gaza movement boats taking medical supplies, construction materials and other humanitarian aid to Gaza, were detained and taken to Ramle prison near Tel Aviv. The group includes one American, former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. Here is a report of what they are seeing and doing:

The majority of the group ended up in Ramle Prison. Those of us who are Free Gaza organizers had been hearing some news from them, statements, interviews and letters since they arrived. From the first night, the Free Gaza 21 have been busy trying to get news out of the prison about the illegality of Israel's actions in relation to themselves and the other inmates inside Ramle Prison who have no voice.

Report from E: I received a 2am phone call during one of the first sleepless nights from Ramle Prison to let me know that in one of the cells, four of the FG group had been busy writing a press release on an old phone one of their cellmates had loaned them. It had taken them hours to write the press release. but they were just ready to send it out, and ‘could I check my email to see if I had received it?' Read more....

This is Cynthia McKinney and I'm speaking from an Israeli prison cellblock in Ramle. [I am one of] the Free Gaza 21, human rights activists currently imprisoned for trying to take medical supplies to Gaza, building supplies - and even crayons for children, I had a suitcase full of crayons for children. While we were on our way to Gaza the Israelis threatened to fire on our boat, but we did not turn around. The Israelis high-jacked and arrested us because we wanted to give crayons to the children in Gaza. We have been detained, and we want the people of the world to see how we have been treated just because we wanted to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. Read more....

Stories from Israel and Palestine...

from peacemakers on the ground, who are working to end the injustice of Israel’s occupation and bring peace to their land. Stories to help Americans, who, like me, have not understood what is really happening—in the words of one Jewish grandmother I met, "for my children and grandchildren."

A Lenten Geography, Meditations for Lent, 2014

As we prepare for Holy Week and Easter, join me in listening to the texts for the Sundays in Lent through the stories of the "living stones"—the Christians, Jews and Muslims living in the ancient land of Palestine who are working to bring the good news of peace to that land today. The lessons are from the Revised Common Lectionary.

About Me

When I first traveled to Israel and Palestine in June, 2005, with Pastor Paul Rowold, I met Israelis and Palestinians and heard their stories about how difficult their lives have become under Israel's occupation and I witnessed all the ways they are bringing hope to their communities.
When I asked what I could to, they told me "Tell our stories." They were convinced that if the American people knew what was happening to them, their lives would be different.
I returned to visit with Israeli and Palestinian peace groups in June, 2008, and I have been the co-leader for two pilgrimage groups to the Holy Land in 2008 and 2009. In May-June 2010, I traveled with a Compassionate Listening delegation. Again, the Palestinians and the Jewish Israelis I met asked me to tell their stories of despair and hope—and about their work to build their communities and create a future of hope for their children. I have made two more trips—in 2011 and again this past fall,2013, with Interfaith Peace-builders. In the picture above, I'm protesting the occupation of Palestine by standing with the Women in Black at one of Jerusalem's busiest intersections in June, 2008.